8/2/2019 Using Form Controls in Excel Combo Box

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Using Form Controls in Excel:

Combo BoxThe Combo Box is used to display a list ofitems from which only one can be chosen. The

list of items to be displayed has to be set upsomewhere in the spreadsheet (usually on aseparate worksheet) and given a name.In the image opposite, you can see how theCombo Box appears. It is basically a pull-down

list showing the contents of a range of cells.From the Combo Box, one item is selected whichthen places a value in a previously selected cell.

In this example, the third item from the top ofthe list has been selected, therefore a value of3would be entered into the nominated cell.

The value returned from the selected item from the Combo Box can then be used with avariety of other functions to perform operations as required.

Creating the Combo BoxOpen a new Excel workbook and in the first worksheet enter a list of 10 names in A1

to A10 (you can make these up or use the names of your favourite football or rugbyplayers!). Once entered, highlight the list of names and give the list a name:Insert>Name>Define... enter people as the name then save the Excel file. Go toworksheet 2 and enter a heading in cell A3 (e.g. Name:). Make sure that the Formstoolbar is open (View>Toolbars>Forms) and select the Combo Box icon. Drag out theCombo Box to the right of the heading in cell A3, then open its Format Control dialogue

box (right-click on the combo box). Under the Control Tab, enter people for the InputRange (or use the name you defined earlier), for the Cell Link enter a cell which is offthe screen (e.g. N3) and then 5 for the Drop down lines. Click OK to finish the settings,then de-select the Combo Box by clicking on a blank cell. Check that the Combo Box

works by clicking its pull-down arrow and selecting a name from the list: also check thata value has been entered into the off screen cell entered into Cell Link above.Returning informationOnce information is selected from a list via a Combo Box, it would be useful if furtherinformation could be returned based on the selection. Go back to the worksheet

containing the list of names and add two more columns of data: addresses and phonenumber (fictitious, of course!). Highlight the 3 columns of data and define a name for the

area (e.g. pdata) then save the spreadsheet. Return to worksheet 2 and enter theheading Address: in cell A4 (underneath the Name: heading). In cell B4 you are goingto use the INDEX function to return the address from the person selected from theCombo Box. The function should look like this:

The Array is pdata - the three columns ofdata defined as above. The Row Number(Row_num) is the off screen cell which holdsthe data returned by the Combo Box.Column Number (Column_num) tells thefunction to return the relevant value from the

second column of the pdata area (column 1

holds the names).

8/2/2019 Using Form Controls in Excel Combo Box

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After you have completed the Index function, check that it works by selecting differentnames from the Combo Box, making sure that the correct address is returned. Nowperform a similar task by returning the Phone Number data in cell B5.Extension TasksIn a new worksheet, create and enter a list of items and prices, for example a restaurantmenu, a newsagent or convenience store, a fuel station etc. and use a range of functionsto make an invoice page.Set up a worksheet to record pupils' achievement across a range of subjects. Use theINDEX function on another worksheet to produce individual record sheets.